Iraq Protesters Burn US Flag During Biden Visit

Sadr faction wants them out on schedule in December

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden arrived in Iraq for a one-day visit today, and the top topic for discussion, behind closed doors anyway, was expected to be the US’ December troop withdrawal deadline, an official tells the AP . In front of closed doors, Biden merely reiterated the US' friendship with Iraq. “The best thing that could happen to the United States, literally, is for you to be a free, prosperous democracy,” he said, before meeting with Jalal Talabani, Nouri al-Maliki, and Massoud Barzani. More»

Shiites, Muqtada al-Sadr's office targeted

(NEWSER) - Bombs exploded throughout Baghdad today, targeting Shiite mosques and neighborhoods, including the office of anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. A neighborhood in Anbar province was also hit with six roadside bombs. At least 61 people have been killed and nearly 112 wounded, CNN reports. More»

Followers of radical cleric poised to challenge Maliki

(NEWSER) - As Iraq sorts out the messy results of last week's elections, an unexpected winner is coming to light: The populist party of anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr, long since given up for dead, suddenly emerged as the second largest Shiite block, and its strong performance is sure to shake up the country's balance of power. Winning more than 40 seats positions them to be a potent challenge to Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki. More»

(NEWSER) - An explosion ripped through a market in Baghdad’s Sadr City today killing 52 and injuring 104, Reuters reports. Though Iraq has seen markedly less violence in the past year, today’s bombing is part of a wave of attacks ahead of the US military’s scheduled withdrawal from Iraqi cities next week. Sadr City is home to supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, though it is patrolled by Iraqi government forces. More»

Infrastructure remains sub-standard in much of Iraq

(NEWSER) - Residents of the Sadr City slum of Baghdad have come to accept raw sewage, bubbling to the surface from broken pipes, as a part of daily life, Bloomberg reports. And Sadr City is hardly an oddity—despite 6 years and billions of American dollars, much of Iraq still lacks reliable electricity and running water. More»